"On Saturday a crazed terrorist drove a car bomb into the Players' theatre complex [in Doha] killing ... Jon Adams and wounding several other people ... The terrorist who carried out the attack wanted to change the lifestyle of the foreigners resident in this country and to drive westerners away ...

"We are certain that the authorities will ... root out any extremist groups that may be attempting to undermine security in Qatar and we are sure that every person associated with Saturday's barbarous attack will soon be caught. No system of public security can be absolutely foolproof. Qatar has an excellent record of effective policing which has ensured that this is one of the safest countries in the world."

Independent Editorial, March 21

"[Saturday's bombing] came on the second anniversary of the US-led invasion of Iraq, and the intended victims were western expatriates ... The attack also occurred just days after a taped message from the Saudi dissident, who is purportedly the al-Qaida leader in the region, urged militants to wage holy war against 'crusaders' throughout the Gulf ...

"It would be premature to forecast that the Gulf states are poised to become the new crucible of al-Qaida-inspired terrorism. But the violence in Qatar gives renewed credibility to the view that the US-led invasion of Iraq may have turned not only Iraq, but also the surrounding region, into a breeding ground for a new generation of Islamic extremists."

Gulf News Editorial, United Arab Emirates, March 21

"It is true that to some extent anti-US sentiments run high in the region, at least to some. This is understandable given the biased American policy towards Israel and its involvement in Iraq ... [These] facts that have been used by terrorist groups, including al-Qaida, to justify their call for hitting western interests in the Gulf region. Using this as an argument is absolutely unacceptable, however. Attacking innocent people is unjustifiable. There are several peaceful ways in which objections can be raised and disagreements voiced."

Times Editorial, March 21

"Until now the smaller Gulf states - Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates - have been able to isolate themselves from the insurgency in Iraq and the terrorist campaign in Saudi Arabia ... Nevertheless, fears have been growing that [Qatar] would be the target for an attack, as much to punish the country for its western associations as to spread general alarm among the many expatriates ...

"Nothing would so shake confidence in these small, rich states as a terrorist campaign ... The property market would collapse. The cosy relationship with western governments would come under strain. And social and religious grievances, long assuaged by high living standards, could emerge to bolster support for extremism."

Otto Pohl International Herald Tribune, March 21

"[The bombing] is deadly confirmation of the importance Qatar has attained in recent years ... Qatar has carefully balanced western [business and military] contacts with appeals to regional political sensibilities. It has the headquarters of al-Jazeera, the Arab satellite television channel. The channel is home to many who express strongly pro-Islamist views, as is the country.

"On occasion, Qatar's balancing act has seemed almost absurd. In February 2003, the government played host to a meeting of the Islamic conference ... to discuss ways of avoiding the US invasion of Iraq, even as America was making final preparations to start that invasion from its military base a few miles away."